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Golf Lady Jays Place Third at MSHSAA Class 3 State Tournament
Washington High School girls golf competed at the MSHSAA Class 3 Championships October 21 and 22 at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield.
The Lady Jays brought home hardware with a third-place finish in the Class 3 team standings. The top four teams earned state trophies.
Glendale claimed the Class 3 title with a team score of 671 followed by Springfield Central (721), Washington (735) and Ft. Zumwalt South (736).
Golfers played 18 holes on both Monday and Tuesday.
Washington trailed Ft. Zumwalt South by 10 strokes and were in fourth place after day one, but jumped into third place during the second day.
“I am ecstatic about the team's finish at the state. It was an awesome ending to an amazing season,” said Washington Head Golf Coach Ben Hornback. “The girls had had an amazing postseason already, taking conference for the second straight year and winning a district championship for the first time in program history. But to bring home a third place state trophy feels unbelievable. I'm extremely proud of the girls and everything they accomplished this year.”
The top 15 golfers in the individual standings earned all-state honors.
Leading the way for Washington was Abby Blackwell, who earned all-state honors by finishing in a tie for 10th place with rounds of 80 and 82 for a 162 total.
Ella Martin finished in 26th place with rounds of 87 and 87 for a 174 total. Lily Nieder (107 and 95) and Kloey O’Connell (105 and 97) tied for 61st place with a total score of 202. Josie Kemper placed 66th with rounds of 102 and 102 for a 204 total.
Glendale’s Page Bowman, last year’s Class 4 state champion, won the Class 3 title with rounds of 69 and 73 for a 142 total.
“Although we didn't play poorly day one, we definitely didn't play to the level we had hoped to. After Monday's round, we were in fourth place, trailing Fort Zumwalt South by ten strokes,” Hornback said. “At our team meeting Monday evening, we discussed missed opportunities, how to limit errors, and how each girl could lower their scores on day two; simple things, but things we didn't do consistently day one, like playing specific distances off the tee to avoid bunker shots, discipline and patience in our putting approach, and hitting shots that would take lateral hazards out of play.
“The girls came out of the gate on fire day two. Kloey O'Connell shot a 44 on her first nine and Abby Blackwell carded two bogies and a birdie to shoot one over on the front. Ella Martin lowered her scores on holes 10, 11, and 12, one of the toughest three-hole stretches on the course, by five strokes from day one to day two, and Lily Nieder had a stellar first nine.”
Washington qualified for state by winning the Class 3 District 1 Tournament on October 10 at Wolf Hollow Golf Club.
Washington placed third at the MSHSAA Girls Golf Championships at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield.
From left are Lily Nieder, Kloey O’Connell, Ella Martin, Josie Kemper and Abby Blackwell.
Washington placed third at the MSHSAA Girls Golf Championships at Rivercut
Golf Course in Springfield. From left are Assistant Coach Jessica Fitzgerald, Lily Nieder,
Kloey O’Connell, Ella Martin, Josie Kemper, Abby Blackwell and Head Coach Ben Hornback.
Washington Girls Golf Coaches Ben Hornback and Jessica Fitzgerald
with the Class 3 third-place trophy.